Tips for Painting your Nursery

The birth of a child is an exciting adventure full of unfamiliar territory, unexpected surprises, and uncounted joy. Preparing for the new baby, however, can be very costly and time consuming, not to mention somewhat stressful and overwhelming.

An integral part of preparing for your newborn baby is to set up and complete the nursery. When preparing a nursery, you want to create a warm, safe, and happy environment for your baby to grow. Painting can be an inexpensive and effective way to transform your baby’s new room, creating a fresh look for this exciting new arrival.

Here are a few tips to consider while preparing your nursery:

Minimize Fumes

When painting your baby’s room, one the most important things to consider is whether or not the paint you’re using contains toxins. Many types of paint give off harmful fumes even after they dry, and they can harbor bacteria that are difficult to clean.

Use a no-VOC or a low-VOC formula for your baby’s nursery; these types of paints will reduce the volatile organic compounds many standard paints give off. These toxic-safe paints may still have an odor, but they are far safer than standard latex or water-based paints.

Durable Finish

When you have a newborn baby, you must prepare for the walls getting stained (as with every other wall in the house!). The newly painted walls in your baby’s nursery will be stained, spilled, and splattered on, so you can expect quite a bit of scrubbing to clean it off.

Standard matte finishes have recently been made more durable than in previous years, and respond decently to stain removal. However, egg shell, satin, and other high gloss finishes are best for cleaning and are referred to as “scrubbables.” These types of “scrubbable” paints have a more durable surface and will make your clean-up job much easier.

Also, remember to stick to high quality paints that will keep harmful fumes at a minimum, as well as require less touch-ups over time.

Pick a Theme

Courtesy of Nursery Murals and More

Picking out your baby’s nursery theme is a very important task, so be mindful to choose something that you will like for a few years. There are many different schools of thought surrounding the design of a baby’s room, such as the color scheme to choose, as well as what furniture and accessories should be included.

Do some research on theories regarding different color themes and lighting levels, as well as the effect these elements can have on child development. Some research suggests using bold, primary colors such as bright red, yellow, and blue, which are able to stimulate a baby’s neurotransmitters. Other research suggests using pastel colors instead, in order to create a soothing environment that promotes healthy sleep patterns.

Also, consider incorporating a favorite children’s storybook or film character into your nursery’s theme. Helpful hint—you can search for infant bedding that features a beloved character and then choose paint colors that will correspond with this theme.

Not a very artistic person? You can go the traditional route by featuring simple letters, numbers, and patterns on the walls of your nursery. Many local craft stores have lots of different and easy-to-use stencils that will add a simple, yet effective design on your nursery walls.

However, if you’d rather leave painting your nursery to the professionals, give us a call and we’ll be happy to create a warm and nurturing environment for your baby’s arrival.